Best Graphic Novels for Women (2026): 5 Compared

Finding the best graphic novels for women starts with the reader: one woman wants a memoir she can talk about at book club, another wants a fantasy series to sink into. We compared five graphic novels by author, page count, listed reading age or grade level and what each description says, so you can match the book to the reader.

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The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	Brazen by Bagieu	9.7/10	Buy on Amazon
2	Monstress Vol 1 by Liu	9.6/10	Buy on Amazon
3	Wake by Hall	9.6/10	Buy on Amazon
4	Paper Girls Vol 1 by Vaughan	9.5/10	Buy on Amazon
5	Persepolis by Satrapi	9.5/10	Buy on Amazon

1

Brazen by Bagieu

Pénélope Bagieu·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A comic biography profiling daring women from Nellie Bly to Mae Jemison, for readers who want real lives in graphic form.

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Pros

• Profiles real women across history and the globe, from Nellie Bly to Mae Jemison
• 304 pages from First Second, the longest pick here
• The listing states it won the 2019 Eisner Award for Best U.S. Edition of International Material

Cons

• The grade level of 4 to 7 does not match the reading age of 14 to 18 years
• Anthology format means each profile is short rather than a full story
• Some figures are little known, so not every story lands for every reader

2

Monstress Vol 1 by Liu

Marjorie Liu·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A dark fantasy opener about a teenage girl with a psychic link to a monster, for readers who want lush, award-winning art.

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Pros

• Written by Marjorie Liu and set in an alternate matriarchal 1900s Asia
• The listing states multiple 2018 Eisner Awards, including Best Writer
• Collects Monstress #1 to 6, a complete opening arc at 208 pages

Cons

• The description names the trauma of war, so check content before gifting
• Volume 1 of an ongoing series, so the story continues in later volumes
• Steampunk fantasy may not suit a reader who wants realism

3

Wake by Hall

Rebecca Hall·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

A historian's graphic history of women who led revolts during the Middle Passage, for readers of serious nonfiction.

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Pros

• Tells the story of women warriors who planned and led revolts on slave ships
• Blends the author's own research journey with the history she uncovers
• Illustrated in black and white at 224 pages

Cons

• The reading age of 1 year and up does not fit the subject matter
• The description deals with slavery and violence throughout
• Heavier reading than the fantasy and memoir picks here

4

Paper Girls Vol 1 by Vaughan

Brian K Vaughan·9.5/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

Four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls stumble into a sci-fi mystery, for readers who want an adventure with a young female cast.

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Pros

• Centers four 12-year-old newspaper delivery girls as the leads
• The listing states an Eisner Award win for the series
• Collects issues #1 to 5, a complete first arc at 144 pages

Cons

• The young cast skews younger than the adult women the keyword names
• Volume 1 of an ongoing series, so the story continues in later volumes
• Suburban 1988 nostalgia may not suit every reader

5

Persepolis by Satrapi

Marjane Satrapi·9.5/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

The complete graphic memoir of Marjane Satrapi's girlhood in Iran during the revolution, for readers who want a classic first.

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Pros

• The complete memoir in one 341-page volume from Pantheon
• A graphic memoir written and drawn by a woman about a girlhood
• The description calls it a feminist manifesto and a classroom staple

Cons

• No reading age or grade level is stated in the listing
• The description names political upheaval and revolution
• Black and white art throughout, which some readers do not prefer

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More picks to compare

• Snotgirl Vol 1 by O’MalleyFor readers 13 and up who want a strange, funny comic.Check on Amazon
• Woman World by DhaliwalFor readers 14 and up who want funny feminist strips.Check on Amazon
• Amazons, Abolitionists by KendallFor readers 12 to 17 who want a graphic history of women’s rights.Check on Amazon
• Halfway There by MariFor readers 13 and up who want a graphic memoir of identity and belonging.Check on Amazon
• Witchcraft: A Graphic History by SquireFor readers curious about the history of wise women and healers.Check on Amazon

Compare the picks

Book details as published on each listing, collected 20 October 2026.

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs fit for the reader, contents and edition, value, and the listed reading age or level where one is given. Four of the five listings give a reading age; Brazen also gives a grade level of 4 to 7 that does not match its reading age of 14 to 18 years. How we pick explains the weights.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each book’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Reading age or level counts on a list where at least one listing gives one, and a book whose listing gives none then scores zero on it. Where no listing gives one, the score is taken over the other 85 points. Books carry no warranty, so warranty is not scored.

How to choose the best graphic novels for women

Memoir or history first

Readers who want real lives should start with Brazen, a comic biography of rebel women, or Wake, a historian’s account of women-led slave revolts. Both keep the focus on women’s lives rather than fiction. Our best memoir novels list has more graphic memoirs in this vein.

Check the reading age against the reader

The listings give reading ages from 1 year and up to 16 years and up, and Brazen adds a grade level of 4 to 7. When the two numbers disagree, as with Brazen and Wake, read the description before deciding. For women’s stories in prose, see our best historical fiction books like The Women.

Series or standalone

Monstress Volume 1 and Paper Girls Volume 1 open ongoing series, so a reader who wants a finished story should pick Brazen, Wake or the complete Persepolis instead. All five are single volumes, but two of them are only the beginning.

Before you buy

• Check the volume number: two picks here are Volume 1 of an ongoing series.
• Compare the reading age with the reader, and read the description for mature themes like war, slavery or revolution.
• Confirm the format and page count on the listing; the complete Persepolis collects the whole memoir in one 341-page volume.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which graphic novel should a woman read first?

Start with Brazen for short profiles of real women, or with the complete Persepolis for a full graphic memoir. Both stand alone with no series to follow.

Are these books suitable for teenagers?

Brazen lists a reading age of 14 to 18 years, and Monstress and Paper Girls list 16 years and up. Wake lists 1 year and up, which does not fit its subject matter, so read its description first.

Which of these are part of a series?

Monstress Volume 1 collects issues #1 to 6 and Paper Girls Volume 1 collects issues #1 to 5 of ongoing series. Brazen, Wake and the complete Persepolis are standalone.

Still deciding? Our top pickBrazen by Bagieu

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Related lists

See every book club book list and all fiction lists.

More lists: graphic memoir novels, historical fiction like The Women, book club picks.